Whale-shaped museum building



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. WARD.

WHALB SHAPED MUSEUM BUILDING.

No. 339,828. Pa ted Apr. 1 3, 1886.

WITNESSES: R: @b. M 62 .M BY

/ TTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pt xolo-L'rthogmhar. Wuhin mn. u c.

(No Model.) .3 SheetsSheet 2. A. WARD.

WHALB SHAPED MUSEUM BUILDING.

No. 339,828. Patented Apr. 13,1886.

E i Q L g E '7 4 WITNESSES: INVENTOR':

AM%w m i I J ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. WARD.

WHALE SHAPED MUSEUM BUILDING.

No. 339,828. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.-

INVENTOR: J

v E 1 ll 1 A n-n11 1/ U N. PETERS. Phum-Limo n hnr, Wnhington. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY \VARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WHALE-SHAPED MUSEUM BUILDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,828, dated April 13, 1886.

A pplication filed June 25, 18 5.

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY WARD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in \Vhale-Shaped Museum Bnildings, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one of my improved whaleshaped museum buildings, taken through the line .12, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of-the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same, taken through the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a similar sectional view as Fig. 1, with portions broken away and the lower jaw partially elevated.

The object of this invention is to provide museum buildings constructed to represent a whale having amovable lower jaw to admit spectators and provided with gravity-cars to carry them out.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the various parts of the museum building, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

A represents the museum building, which is made in the form of a whale with a stationary upper jaw, B, having stationary teeth 0, and with a movable lower jaw, I), having movable teeth E.

The movable lower jaw, D, is attached to a vertical rack-bar, F, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the pinion-wheel G, attached to a horizontal shaft, H. The shaft H is placed in a small chamber below the main chamber and revolves in bearings attached to the frame of the building. To the shaft H is attached a spool or drum, I, to which is attached and around which is wound a rope or chain, J. The other end of the rope or chain J is attached to and wound around a spool or drum, K, journaled to supports placed within the main chamber, and which is provided with a crank, L, by means of which the said drum K is turned to wind up the rope or chain J and close the lower jaw, D. The lower jaw can be arranged to open by its own weight when the rope or chain J is slackened, or it can be Serial No. 169.7. (No model.)

- tators pass in entering the main chamber, and

which is secured to the upper end of the rackbar F. The guide-rods N pass through and slide in guideholes in cross-bars 1? of the frame of the building and support the lower jaw, D, when fully lowered.

Theteeth E ofthelowerjaw D, are connected with the ends of springs Q. attached at their centers to supports secured to the frame of the building. To the ends of the springs Q are attached the ends of the cords or chains R, which pass around guide-pulleys S,pivoted to supports secured to the middle part of the rack-bar F. From the pulleys S the cords or chains Rpass over guide-pulleys T, pivoted to supports secured to the floor-timbers of the main chamber or other suitable supports, and 7 5 their ends are secured to the forward ends of the spiral springs U, the rear ends of which are secured to the frame-timbers of the main chamber.

Vith this construction, as thelower jaw, D, is raised, the cords or chains R will be slackened, and the teeth E will be raised above the platform 0 by the springs Q, so as to come into view and engage with the teeth 0 of the upper jaw, B, when the lower jaw, D, is fully raised.

when the lowerjaw, D, is lowered,the cross cords or chains R will be tightened and the teeth E will be drawn down below the level of the platform 0, so as to be out of the way of people entering the museum.

The mouth of the whale, except in front, is surrounded by a fence or railing, V, to prevent people from entering the said mouth at its sides.

The curiosities to be exhibited are to be placed in cases W arranged within the main chamber, or are suspended from the walls of the said chamber. In the sides of the rear part of the main chamber are formed openings [00 with which are connected exit-passages X.

In the rear part of the main chamber is placed an inclined track, Y, upon which is placed a car, Z, and which passes out through an opening below or in' the tail of the whale, so that the said car Z, by its own weight, can carry out the spectators who may prefer that method of exit. The car Z is drawn in after its passengers have alighted by a rope or chain, a, one end of which is attached to the said car, and its lower end is attached to the drum ofa Windlass, b.

The opening through which the car Z passes out and in is closed by a trap-door, a, secured to the tail of the whale or forming apart of the said tail, and may be opened and closed by the movement of the said car Z, or by other more ventilating-openings, f, provided with caps g, to allow foul air to escape.

Above the back of the whale are placed finely-perforated pipes 71, which are eonne cted with water-pipes i, so that a fine spray of water can be constantly showered upon the back of the whale to keep the main chamber cool.

. Having thus described my inventionflclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. I A museum building made, substantially as herein shown and described, in the shape of a whale, and provided with a movable lower jaw to form an entrance-passage, as set forth.

2. In a whale-shaped museum building, the

combination, with the stationary upper jaw,

B, and the movable lower jaw, D, of the plat- 9 movable teeth E, the springs Q, the cords and.

guide-pulleysR S T, and the springs U, sub.- st-ant-ially asv herein shown and, described, whereby the saidteeth will be projected above and withdrawn below the said platformautomatically as the said movable jawisraised and lowered, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a. whale-shaped 'museum building havinganexit openingiin its tail, of the inclinedtraek ,-Y, the car Z, and the rope and Windlass a b, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby, the

spectators can be carried out by gravity and the said car readily drawn back, asset forth.

1 ANTHONY WARD. Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, EDGAR TATE. 

